


Ski Season

by ElderlySeaHag



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: AU, Accidental Sleepover, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Ben Solo, Christmas Fluff, Dog BB-8, F/M, Finally trying to earn a little bit of that mature rating, Fluff, Holidays, I have no idea where this is going, I think this is fluff, Literal Sleeping Together, Poe and Ben are non-biological cousins, Rating because idk what's gonna happen, Reylo with a side of Stormpilot, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Size Difference, Skiing, Skiing AU, Slow Burn, Winter, alternative universe, business bro/competitive skier Kylo Ren, college student rey, the great british bake off is important to me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:33:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22342624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElderlySeaHag/pseuds/ElderlySeaHag
Summary: Rey accepts her friend Poe's invitation to spend winter break at his aunt's ski house up North. She's all set to spend the holidays relaxing with a book by the fire, but when Poe's cousin Ben comes to visit, things get a little more complicated.Reylo Skiing AU that nobody asked for.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 50
Kudos: 191





	1. Lesson

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So this is my first Reylo fic, and the quality is going to be questionable because I wrote this in one go and have no idea where I'm going with it, but I felt the need to write some winter fluff, so I'm throwing this into the void. I hope someone likes it. I will update it when I can. Enjoy!

“Here we are,” Poe announced, turning into a concentrated neighborhood of quaint-looking buildings after miles of nearly uninterrupted woods. “Home sweet mountain home.” The sun was just starting to set as Poe navigated his SUV past rows of charmingly European-looking condominiums and hotels. It was a little odd, but Rey found the area to feel surprisingly calm for the number of people there were walking around. Poe was one of Rey’s best friends at the university they both attended. He had been a senior her freshman year, and now he was on his first year of his masters’ program while she was a sophomore. When Poe found out that last year, Rey had spent all of winter break alone in her dorm, he had taken it upon himself to invite her to stay with him at his aunt’s place up north this year. Rey had been reluctant to accept, considering what a big invitation it was, but he had insisted, and enjoying nature in New Hampshire did sound like a better way to spend break than in urban solitude.

Poe pulled into the driveway of one of the nicer looking condos, parking and helping Rey disentangle her bag from the piles of bags, sports equipment, and loose clothing in his trunk. Poe’s dog, BB, barked enthusiastically until Poe let him out of the car. He bounded toward the door to one of the condos, wagging his tail as he stared at the door expectantly. 

Rey followed Poe up the steps to the door, where a small, gray-haired woman wearing a large, patterned sweater opened the door and leaned down to scratch BB’s ears. “Poe, you made it!” she called as Poe reached the doorway. He leaned down to hug the woman, then turned to Rey. “Leia, this is Rey. Rey, this is my aunt Leia.” Poe had explained to Rey that Leia wasn’t biologically his aunt; his parents and Leia had always been close friends and Leia had been a huge part of his life, so they considered one another close family.

“Rey, I’ve heard so much about you,” Leia said, wrapping Rey in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you could join us for winter break. It’s going to be a great ski season, just you wait.”

“I’ve actually never been skiing before,” Rey said as she followed Poe into the condo while Leia closed the front door.

“That won’t be a problem,” Leia said. “It’s easy to learn. You’ll pick it right up. Now, let’s get you two settled before dinner.”

Poe showed Rey around the condo, which was essentially optimized to be a ski house for a large family. The entryway had a large mudroom area and a massive walk-in closet full of skis, coats, and all kinds of other equipment. The living room had a beautiful fireplace and a door leading to a balcony overlooking a small stream. There was also a kitchen, a dining area, a master suite where Leia slept, and a couple small bedrooms. The whole place was incredibly cozy, and Rey couldn’t help but enjoy the atmosphere. “Rey, you can sleep in here,” Poe said, leading her into one of the small bedrooms, which was just big enough for a wardrobe and a bunk bed. “I’ll be next door. Leia might have some other relatives coming up at some point, but for the most part, we’ll have our own rooms.” Poe left Rey to get settled. The room was tiny, but Rey was used to sharing just as much space with another person in her dorm, so it was still pretty luxurious. She set her bag down in the wardrobe and sat down on the bottom bunk, which had a comfortable mattress and soft flannel sheets. This might be a really nice break, she decided, thinking of the stack of books she had brought and how pleasant it would be to read them by the fireplace while Poe went skiing.

Rey and Poe returned upstairs for dinner, where Leia got caught up on Poe’s life as a grad student and told him about all of the new improvements that had been made to the mountain this year. She asked Rey some questions too, mostly about school, but thankfully avoided the topic of her family altogether. Rey was grateful; Poe had probably let her know that it could be a sore subject.

“You’re going to have such a good time skiing tomorrow,” Leia told Rey. “The conditions are going to be perfect for a first timer.”

Rey hesitated. Skiing sounded fun, but it was famously expensive. She wasn’t sure how she was going to tell Leia that she really didn’t think she was going to be able to afford to make skiing a habit this season. 

“I took the liberty of having Poe send me a scan of your student ID so that I could get your pass made up ahead of time,” Leia continued. “Consider it an early Christmas present. You have a lesson reserved at 10:00 am tomorrow, so I hope you don’t mind getting up early.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Rey began.

“It’s my pleasure. I miss having a house full of young people enjoying the mountain. My son’s not as fun as he used to be. It’s a good thing I still have Poe.” She and Poe laughed together, and Rey smiled. She was nervous about trying something new, but skiing looked really, really fun.

\--------------------------------

The next morning, Rey and Poe got up at eight, made a breakfast of bacon and pancakes, and got dressed. Rey put on her warmest leggings and a long sleeved top. Poe loaned her a pair of ski socks that he said were his from when he was a teenager. In the ski closet, Leia helped Poe find ski boots in Rey’s size, which apparently was the same as one of Leia’s friends who Leia kept equipment around for. They set her up with skis, poles, a helmet, and goggles, as well as a coat, neck warmer, mittens, and ski pants. The end result was a mishmash of Poe’s hand-me-downs and Leia’s extras, but everything fit pretty well and would definitely keep her warm.

Leia clipped Rey’s new season pass to the jacket she was wearing-- Rey noticed that the photo on the front had been cropped from one Poe had taken of her on an outing in the city-- and zipped a lesson ticket into her pocket.

After loading all of their equipment into Poe’s car, they headed for the mountain. “Are you excited for your first day of skiing?” Poe asked with a grin on his face.

“I’m a little nervous,” Rey said. “What if I fall and, like, die?”

“You won’t die,” Poe said. 

“Are you saying I’m going to fall?” Rey asked.

“Falling isn’t that bad,” Poe said. “The snow is soft. It’s like landing on a big, white pillow. And trust me, they’re not just going to throw you to the wolves. The instructors here are great. You’ll learn everything you need to know in your beginner lesson.”

At ten, Poe led Rey over to a podium with a “group lessons” banner. Rey pulled the ticket Leia gave her out of her pocket. “It’s her first time,” Poe said to the attendant. “Where should she go?”

“Finn’s teaching the never-evers today,” the attendant said, pointing to a young man in an instructor’s coat. “You’re the only person signed up for a first timer’s lesson this morning, so unless anyone joins at the last minute, you’ll have him all to yourself.”

“A private lesson,” Poe said. “Doesn’t get any better than that!”

Rey approached the man the attendant had referred to as Finn. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Rey.”

“Hi, Rey,” Finn replied. “It’s your first time skiing?” Rey nodded. “Will you be joining us as well?” Finn asked Poe.

“No, I’m just showing her around,” Poe said. “Gonna hit up some black diamonds while she’s in her lesson.”

“I thought I’d seen you around before,” Finn said. “Have fun. She’ll be ready to hit the slopes with you when we’re done-- maybe not the black diamonds, though.”

Poe laughed. “All right. Have fun!”

\------------------------------

Poe had been right-- Finn wasn’t just going to throw Rey to the wolves. For the first part of the lesson, they didn’t even have their skis on. Finn showed her how to hold her legs and tilt so that she would be able to control herself when she was on skis. 

Once they moved over to the bunny hill, Finn taught Rey how to get back up if she fell with skis on, and then went over how to stop and how to edge up sideways on an incline. Eventually, they progressed to J-turns, and by the end of the lesson, Rey was carefully skiing down the bunny hill.

“You look great!” Finn said. “You’ve really caught on. I think you’ll be ready for the chair lift after this.”

“You really think so?” Rey asked.

“Definitely. The lift we were near before will take you us to some easy greens that are basically the same as the bunny hill, just longer and a little more interesting.”

“That sounds great,” Rey said. “I’ll see if Poe will come with me after lunch.” Finn and Rey walked back toward the lodge together, setting their skis down on a rack near the entrance. “I’m meeting him now. You’re welcome to join, if you’re done working.”

“I’d love to,” Finn said. “I just gotta swing by my locker to grab my lunch bag.” Finn and Rey navigated through the crowded cubby area of the lodge and Finn dashed into the employee locker room, returning with his lunch bag. On his way back, he nearly bumped into a tall man in all-black ski apparel who was briskly marching through the lodge. “How’s it going, Ren?” Finn asked. The man only grunted in response. 

“Did you know that guy?” Rey asked as they made their way to the dining tables.

“We used to train together,” Finn said. “He’s a really good skier. Kind of a dick, though.”

Rey laughed. “How did you recognize him with that helmet on? It covers his whole face.”

“He exudes dark energy everywhere he goes,” Finn said. “That, and his name is embroidered on the sleeve of his team jacket.”

“That’ll do it, then,” Rey said. She spotted Poe waiting at one of the tables with the cooler they had packed that morning. She and Finn sat down, and Poe handed her a sandwich and a metal water bottle. “Poe, you remember Finn from this morning. I asked him to join us for lunch.”

“Hey!” Poe said. “Glad you could make it. How did she do?”

“She was great,” Finn said, pulling his own lunch out of his bag. “She caught on really quickly. She’s a natural. I think she’s ready for the chairlift.”

“Awesome! I knew she’d get it,” Poe said. 

\---------------------------------------

After lunch, Poe, Finn and Rey took the chairlift up to what Finn and Poe both swore was an exceptionally easy trail. Poe and Finn had been getting along really well, and Poe had invited Finn to come along with them. Finn didn’t teach again until two, so he had decided to come for a couple of runs. Rey’s first ride on the chairlift had been mildly terrifying, but with Finn and Poe talking her through it, it wasn’t so bad. The trail itself was a little harder than the bunny hill, and the experienced skiers whizzing by on their way down from higher trails was slightly intimidating, but Rey made it to the bottom without falling or having a heart attack, so she considered it a success.

“I’ve missed this mountain,” Poe said as they regrouped at the bottom. “It’s been a long year.”

“What’s your favorite trail?” Finn asked.

“Gray peak,” Poe said. “By far.”

“Me too!” Finn exclaimed. “It’s so much fun.”

“You guys should take a run down one of the harder trails together,” Rey said. “I’m cool with practicing on my own for a little bit.”

“Are you sure?” Poe asked. “I don’t mind staying on the greens with you.”

“No, it’s fine,” Rey said. “I’m having fun getting used to it. You guys do a couple runs, and I’ll meet you in the lodge at two.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Poe said. Rey nodded, smiling. She sensed some chemistry between the two of them, and she wanted to see if it would turn into anything. He and Finn took off toward another chairlift, and Rey got back into line.

The lift operators were grouping people up to fill the lift more efficiently, and Rey found herself being ushered into the loading area with a tall, dark figure she recognized.

“Hey,” she said as the lift picked up. “I think you know my friend, Finn.”

The man turned his head toward her, the full face mask making his expression unreadable, but his body language made Rey feel like he was surprised that she was talking to him. “Yeah,” he said. “We’ve met.”

Rey nodded. “I’m Rey. And you’re… Ren, was it?”

“Kylo Ren,” he replied. 

“That’s an interesting name.”

Kylo didn’t respond. Rey shrugged. Finn’s assessment was proving to be correct, so far.

“Do you ski often?” Rey asked.

“As often as I possibly can,” Kylo replied. “But not usually here.”

Those were the most words Rey had managed to get out of him so far. Good. “Where do you usually go?” She asked.

“I travel,” he said. “I like Colorado, and I like Austria. Canada is nice.”

“That must be incredible,” Rey said. “To see all those places.”

Kylo shrugged. “I’m usually pretty busy. But it’s nice.”

The chairlift pulled up to the top and Kylo raised the bar so that they’d be able to get off. 

“Well, see you around?” she asked.

“Uh, I guess,” Kylo replied. They got off the chair, and Kylo zipped around to another trail branching off the green she had skied with Finn and Poe, disappearing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After-skiing fluff and an appearance from Cousin Ben

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to anyone who's made it this far! Time for some more winter aesthetic. I wanted to squeeze one more chapter in before I leave today because I might not be able to do anything tonight and both chapters are pretty short.

Rey and Poe skied until the lifts closed at sundown, which Poe joked they might regret the next day. Rey didn’t regret anything; she was sore and her hands and feet were cold in a deep way she hadn’t experienced before, but skiing had been even more fun than she’d expected. She wasn’t sure if it was the activity itself that she liked, or the total escapism of making her way down the mountain through a literal winter wonderland.

“Hot cocoa?” Poe offered when they arrived back at Leia’s ski house. Rey nodded enthusiastically on her way to go change out of her ski gear. Poe changed faster, and by the time Rey was dressed in cozy sweats and a pair of slippers, Poe was already getting their cocoa going on the stove.

Rey wrapped herself in a blanket on the couch by the fire, and Poe handed her a mug of cocoa as BB settled in on the couch between them, his head in Rey’s lap. Rey scratched his ears as he gazed at her with his big brown eyes. 

“I can already feel the soreness in my ankles,” Poe said. “Skiing uses different muscles than you normally work, so you get sore in places you’re not normally sore.”

Rey nodded. “I feel it already too.” 

“I probably should have told you to call it a little earlier in the day, since it’s your first time and you haven’t done any conditioning, but we were having too much fun.”

“I wouldn’t have listened, I don’t think,” Rey replied. “That was amazing.” The fire crackled softly, BB’s breathing was becoming slower and heavier, and tiny flakes of snow were beginning to fall outside. Rey felt calm, and realized that she could definitely spend the rest of break like this: just her, Poe, Leia, and BB enjoying the best the winter had to offer. The season pass Leia bought her meant that she could ski every day she was here.

“I just got a text from my son,” Leia announced as she made her way into the living area. 

“Tell Ben I say hi,” Poe replied. “There’s more cocoa,” he added. “Should still be hot.”

Leia poured herself a small cup. “You can tell him yourself,” she replied. “He’s coming to dinner.”

“He’s up here already?” Poe asked, eyebrows raising.

“Apparently,” Leia said. “He always seems to let me know at the last minute. I hope he’s at least planning on staying through the holidays. I’m going to be very annoyed if he’s coming up early so he can leave before Christmas.”

Poe shrugged. “I think he’ll stay,” he said. “He loves it here, even if he won’t admit it.”

Leia nodded. “We’ll see. I need to get dinner started.”

\-------------------------------

Ben arrived just before dinner time, dressed in black jeans, a green sweater, and a coat that looked more suited to winter in the city than skiing. He wasn’t what Rey was expecting Leia’s son to look like; Leia was small and had a round, welcoming face, while Ben was tall, broad, and angular. His dark hair nearly hit his shoulders and a couple of moles dotted his face. He was attractive, Rey realized, maybe in an unconventional way.

“Where’s your equipment?” Leia asked, taking in his single duffel bag and lack of skis.

“I have a locker up at the lodge,” Ben replied. “Didn’t want to lug it all down.”

Leia rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself. Your usual room is open. You can drop your stuff off.”

Ben nodded, hanging his coat on one of the many wall pegs and leaving his boots in the mudroom before dropping his bag off in one of the bedrooms. He made his way back to the kitchen and sat down at the table with Poe and Rey.

“Hey, Ben, how have you been?” Poe asked with a warm smile.

Ben did not return his warmth. “I’ve been fine,” he said. “The usual. How’s… college?”

“Grad school,” Poe corrected. “It’s going really well. I’m loving it! But I’m so glad to be up here skiing, I’ve missed the mountain like crazy.”

Leia took her seat at the table and encouraged her guests to dig in. She had made spaghetti and meatballs, which Rey realized was exactly what she wanted after such a long day of skiing. She started eating and realized that she was hungrier than she thought she was.

“Rey, how was your first day of skiing?” Leia asked.

“It was incredible,” Rey said between bites. “I had so much fun. Thank you so much!”

“She caught on so quickly,” Poe added. “She’s a total natural. I couldn’t believe it.”

Leia smiled broadly. “Did you make it on the chairlift?” she asked. 

“Two hours in!” Poe replied for Rey. “I’ve never seen anyone catch on that fast. Although, she was the only never-ever taking a lesson this morning, so she got the instructor to herself.”

“What luck,” Leia said. “The instructors here are great.”

Rey nodded. “Absolutely.” She didn’t miss the hint of an eye roll from Ben, but she ignored it, not sure what he had against the instructors at this mountain. Or maybe it was his mother’s enthusiasm he was annoyed with; either way, Rey didn’t let it bother her.

“Ben, you should go skiing with Rey and Poe tomorrow,” Leia said. “I’m sure you’ll have something to teach her.”

Ben swallowed a mouthful of pasta and took a sip of his water. “I’m sure Poe and his girlfriend don’t need a third wheel,” he replied.

“I’m not his girlfriend,” Rey corrected, maybe a little too quickly.

“Rey is one of my best friends from school,” Poe explained. “She wasn’t able to make it home for the holidays this year,” or any year, Rey thought sardonically, “So Leia and I invited her to come up and ski with us for winter break. We aren’t dating.” 

“Oh,” Ben replied. His eyes looked curious, but he didn’t press further.

\-----------------------------

After dinner, Rey took a shower and dressed in her pajamas, choosing a book from the stack she’d brought to start reading. She found a chair in the living room that was set aside in the corner by the window and curled up with a blanket. From this seat, she could see the snow out the window, which was now falling in big, fluffy flakes as opposed to the tiny sparkles that had been wafting down at dinnertime. They way the wind was blowing, it looked like the snowflakes were rushing toward her when she looked out the window, and for a moment Rey imagined that they were stars and she was zooming past them in a spaceship.

Rey returned her gaze to her book, curling up in the wide armchair. She heard someone passing through the living room and looked up. It was Ben, who didn’t seem to notice her sitting there. BB trotted out from Poe’s room, planting himself in front of Ben and wagging his tail.

Something in Ben’s harsh demeanor broke, and he smiled for the first time since Rey had met him. Kneeling down, he rubbed BB’s face and scratched behind his ears. “Who’s a good boy?” Ben asked softly, probably thinking nobody could hear him. “Are you a good little BB?” BB wagged his tail even harder. “You missed your favorite uncle Ben, didn’t you?” BB rolled over for a belly rub, and Ben obliged, grinning. “Yeah, Uncle Ben missed you, too. You’re a good boy.”

For a moment, Rey felt a little bit guilty about the fact that Ben probably didn’t realize there was anyone else in the room, but it wasn’t like she was making any effort to conceal herself. She decided not to say anything, and Ben returned to his room. BB made his way over to Rey and climbed into the chair with her, which was a tight fit considering that he was probably at least a fifty pound dog. 

“Not even grumpy Cousin Ben can resist you,” Rey whispered as she stroked his orangey-tan and white fur. She wasn’t sure why, but the fact that Ben had such a soft spot for BB made her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben are left alone for dinner.

“Hey!” called a voice through the crowd of skiers gathering at the base of the mountain. Rey looked up to see Finn making his way toward her and Poe. “Got time to go one more with a friend?” It was getting late in the afternoon and the lifts would be closing soon, but Finn must have just finished teaching his afternoon lesson.

“Definitely!” Poe replied. “What do you think, Rey?”

“Of course!” she said. They slid into line for the lift and rode it up to the trail Rey had been practicing on. She was getting good at it; she was hoping to progress to one of the slightly harder trails in a few days. Poe and Finn did a good job of not running too far ahead of her, flipping around backwards and taking small jumps off of the sides of the trail to entertain each other. All three of them were laughing, but Rey could tell that there was something building between Finn and Poe.

When they reached the bottom, Finn walked them back into the lodge on the way to the employee locker room. When Rey turned a corner to find her bag, she could hear them talking behind her.

“Hey,” Poe said when he caught up after Finn left for the locker room. “Finn just asked if I wanted to go out to dinner last night. He said you could come with us--”

“It’s fine, Poe,” Rey said, smiling. “Go enjoy your date. I’ll stay back and keep Leia and BB company.”

“Are you sure?” Poe asked. 

“Completely sure,” Rey said. “I’m curious to see if something, ah, happens between the two of you.” Rey waggled her eyebrows suggestively. 

Poe laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also.”

Poe drove Rey back to the condo and came inside just long enough to change and feed BB. “You look nice,” Rey said, noticing that he’d put on a particularly flattering sweater and jeans and fixed his helmet hair.

“Thanks,” he replied, throwing on his brown leather jacket on the way out the door. “See you later!”

“Hopefully much later!” Rey laughed as the door closed behind him.

Rey sat down on the living room couch to cuddle with BB, her book an arm’s reach away. “Rey!” Leia said, making her way down the stairs into the living room. “How was skiing?”

“Great!” Rey said. “I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Wonderful!” Leia said. “Where’s Poe?”

“He’s out to dinner,” Rey said.

“By himself?” Leia asked.

“Not at all,” Rey said with a smile. “He has a date.”

“Who?” Leia asked, her face lighting up.

“One of the ski instructors,” Rey said. “Actually, my ski instructor.”

“Oh, I hope it’s that nice looking boy with the white helmet,” Leia said. 

“Finn?” Rey asked.

“That’s the one! He’s a cutie. Started working here last year.”

“Sounds about right,” Rey said. “They’re nice together.”

“Well, I need to head out to pick up my husband Han from the airport. He’s landing this afternoon and his truck is here. You and Ben will have to figure something out for dinner together. Maybe he can show you around the village.”

“That sounds great,” Rey said, hoping her hesitation didn’t come through in her tone. Ben didn’t seem like the type to want to spend his evening showing a near-stranger around.

“Great, I’ll send him a text to let him know what’s going on,” Leia said. “I’m sure he’ll be excited.”

Rey wasn’t sure she could even picture Ben acting in a way she would consider “excited.” Leia did something on her phone and left. Rey returned her attention to BB, who spread out on his back on the long couch for a belly rub. 

The front door opened and shut, and a moment later, Ben made his way into the living room. BB jumped up to greet him, and Ben leaned down to pat his head, a smile flickering across his face. “Hello,” Rey greeted.

Ben looked up, his normal, slightly uncomfortable expression returning. “Hi,” he said. “My mom told me that she was driving to the airport and Poe was out. She said I should show you around the village.”

“It’s okay, I don’t want to throw off your whole night,” Rey said. “I can figure something out on my own.”

“No, I didn’t have plans,” Ben said. “And I’m hungry. We should go to the Moose Tavern.”

“The Moose Tavern?” Rey asked. 

“It’s in the village. It’s good.” Ben glanced at his phone. “Are you hungry?”

“Uh, yeah, actually,” Rey said, surprised by how hungry she was despite the fact that it was much earlier than when she typically ate. Skiing really took a lot of energy.

“Let’s go now, then,” Ben said. “I mean, if that’s all right with you.”

“That’s fine,” Rey said. “Can I change real quick, though?” she asked, glancing down at the maroon leggings and blue thermal top she’d worn under her ski gear.

“Yeah, no problem,” Ben said. “Not that what you’re wearing would be an issue. Everyone else there was skiing all day, too.” Rey headed to her room, seeing Ben kneel down to cuddle BB from the corner of her eye on her way out.

After changing into jeans and a flannel shirt, Rey quickly fixed her hair and tied it up into three buns on the back of her head. When she met Ben in the mudroom, he had snow boots and a black parka on. “Bundle up,” he said. “It’s not far, so we can walk there.”

“Okay,” Rey said, pulling on her boots and coat. Ben handed her a soft plaid scarf-- she wasn’t sure whose it was, but it seemed that a lot of the winter gear in Leia’s closet had a relatively communal status. She wrapped it around her head before tucking it around her neck and pulling her hood up, remembering how cold it was outside.

Ben led Rey to a path in the woods behind the ski cabin. Tracks ran down the edges on either side for cross country skiers, and occasional lanterns lit their way. When they reached the stream, the path continued onto a bridge, the rails decorated with string lights.

“Wow,” Rey said, taking in the view of the lights reflected in the icy stream.

“It’s not bad,” Ben said. “How long have you been up here?”

“Poe and I arrived the night before you did,” Rey said. “Our finals just ended.”

“What do you study?” Ben asked.

“Engineering,” Rey said. “Same as Poe. We met in class.”

“Are you a graduate student as well?” Ben asked.

“No, still in undergrad,” Rey said. “I’d like to get my masters, too, though. Someday.”

“I’m sure you will,” Ben said. “Where are you from? Are you an international student?”

“Yes,” Rey said. “I’m from the UK.”

“Is that why you couldn’t go home for break?” Ben asked. “Too far?”

“Something like that,” Rey said. The reality was that she had no desire to return to any of her former foster homes; she was more than happy to try to get a green card to stay in the US and never go back at all. She didn’t feel like having that discussion with Ben, though; it had been hard enough having it with Poe, and he was one of her closest friends in the world.

They made it into the small cluster of shops and restaurants that made up what Ben had referred to as “the village.” Families milled about, carrying bags full of groceries from the small market and making their way home from the restaurants.

“This way,” Ben said, leading Rey through a door into a dimly-lit restaurant that encapsulated everything Rey would expect from a place called the Moose Pub. The walls were wood, the rafters were exposed, and a massive set of antlers were on display above an impressive fireplace.

“Two?” the hostess asked with a smile, leading Ben and Rey up a staircase to a loft lined with small tables. They took their seats at a table overlooking the main dining room.

“Do you come here a lot?” Rey asked, taking a look at the menu.

“When I’m up here,” Ben said. “I came here with my parents when I was younger.”

“Your mother is incredibly generous,” Rey said. “I can’t believe she bought me a ski pass.”

Ben chuckled. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “She’s an heiress, and she’s had her own career as well. She can afford to give elaborate presents. In fact, there isn’t much she likes to do more.”

“Must have been fun growing up in your house,” Rey said.

A shadow flickered across Ben’s expression. “Money doesn’t buy you a good childhood,” he said softly.

“That’s not what-- sorry,” Rey said, not realizing there might be some kind of baggage there. “I didn’t mean-- nevermind.”

“It’s fine,” Ben said. 

Thankfully, they were interrupted from their awkward conversation by the server, who took their drink orders and left to retrieve them.

“Do you like to ski too?” Rey asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Ben said. 

“How long have you been going?”

“My whole life,” Ben said. “Well, I started when I was two.”

“Two?” Rey exclaimed. “How did you ski when you were two?”

“Very easily, considering I was very close to the ground already and had no fear,” he replied. Rey tried to imagine a tiny baby version of Ben on skis, and although she couldn’t really imagine him as a child, the image did sound cute. She wondered if Leia had pictures around; she seemed the type to do that.

“I just went for the first time yesterday,” Rey said. “But you knew that.”

The server returned with their drinks, and Rey ordered chicken cordon bleu while Ben got a salad with grilled salmon. 

Rey heard a small commotion and looked down over the rail of the loft. A group of teenagers was staring at them, occasionally pointing and talking excitedly.

“Hey, Ben, do you know those kids?” Rey asked.

Ben’s face stiffened. “They probably just know who my dad is,” he said brusquely.

“Who is your dad?” Rey asked.

“You don’t-- Poe didn’t say anything?”

“Uh, nope,” Rey said. “I didn’t even know your mom was married, to be fair.”

“Married is a strong term,” Ben said. “They only live together part of the year. Anyway, he’s a retired professional skier. Won some medals. This was his home mountain, so he’s something of a local legend.”

“Wow,” Rey said. “I’m surprised Poe never mentioned that.”

“Me too,” Ben replied.

Their food arrived, and their conversation dwindled for a few minutes while they ate. “Are you staying through the holidays?” Rey asked as they finished their meals.

“I think so,” Ben said. “My mom wants me to stay as long as I can. I haven’t been around much lately.”

Rey nodded. “She seemed like she had missed you,” she said.

The server returned to clear their plates. “We’re ready for the check,” Ben said.

“Actually, somebody already took care of that,” the server said. Frowning, Ben looked around the room, his eyes landing on a family in the lower dining room, the father and two young teenagers waving at him. Hesitantly, he waved back. 

“Must be friends of my dad’s,” Ben said as the server left. They stood up from their table.

“I’m going to run to the bathroom,” Rey said.

“Okay, I guess I’ll go say thank you to that family,” Ben said, leaving a ten dollar bill on the table as a tip. 

When Rey returned from the bathroom, Ben was waiting for her by the exit. They returned to the cold for their walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they were getting along so well(ish)...

The walk home from dinner was quiet, and Ben went to his room with a short “good night” as soon as they were inside. Rey took her boots and coat off, then neatly folded the scarf she’d borrowed and returned it to its shelf. She followed the sound of voices into the living room to find Leia and Poe sitting on the couches with a man Rey didn’t recognize.

“Rey!” Leia said. “How was dinner?”

“It was great,” Rey said. “We went to the Moose Tavern.” 

“Ben’s favorite!” Leia said. “And his dad’s, too. Rey, this is my husband, Han.”

Han stood to warmly shake Rey’s hand before sitting back down next to Leia. Rey took a seat next to Poe on the couch, and BB hopped up to settle between them. 

“How are you liking the mountain?” Han asked.

“It’s lovely,” Rey said. “I’m so grateful to your family for letting me stay.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Leia said. “Poe and I were just telling Han how well you’ve taken up skiing.”

“It’s been really fun,” Rey said.

“Tomorrow we’ll all have to to take a few runs together, see what you’ve got,” Han said. 

“Definitely,” Poe said. “You’ll be impressed. Two days in. She’s unbelievable.”

Rey blushed at Poe’s praise. “Ben told me that you’re something of a legend,” she said, hoping to get the attention off of herself.

“My son told you that?” Han asked, seeming somewhat surprised. “He’s called me a lot of things, but so far I’m not sure that’s ever been one of them.”

“Someone at the Moose Tavern paid for our dinner,” Rey said. “Ben said it was because they knew who you were.”

Han and Leia shared a look, but Han returned his attention to Rey. “I was pretty good back in the day, and this is my home mountain, so there are a few people who still remember me,” he said. 

“Only a few?” Poe asked. He turned to Rey, adding, “His picture is in the lodge’s Hall of Fame. There’s a trail named after him, Solo’s Slope.”

“I’ve never done that one,” Rey said.

“I should hope not,” Leia said. “It’s a death trap. It’s not even open most of the time-- thank God.”

“It’s one of the only double black diamonds on this mountain,” Poe said. “Last year there was a mini-avalanche and most of the snow fell off of it, so it never got opened. This year the conditions are better, so it’ll probably be doable.”

“Mini-avalanche?” Rey asked. “Like all the snow just fell off of it? How steep is this trail?”

“To be honest, I think they just named it after me to piss me off,” Han said. “It’s pretty steep.”

Han told a few stories about some of his adventures on the mountain, then Poe and Rey decided it was time to go to bed. Once they were out of earshot of Han and Leia, Rey tugged Poe into her room. “How did it go?” Rey asked. 

Poe’s face broke out into a smile. “Really great. Finn has to be up early to help open the lodge, but I could have stayed out with him all night.”

“Where did you go?” Rey asked. 

“Wolftrack Brewery. Had a couple beers and some pizza. There were fireworks over the river, and we could watch them from the window. We’ll have to go there with you sometime.”

“Were there fireworks going off inside as well?” Rey asked, attempting a suggestive eyebrow waggle. She hadn’t heard any fireworks, they must have been going on while she was inside the Moose Tavern.

Poe laughed. “Maybe. He’s cute. I like him. We’ll have to wait and see.” He smiled, then paused. “Hey, sorry I forgot that tonight was the night Leia was picking up Han at the airport. How was dinner with Ben?”

“It was fun,” Rey said, keeping her voice low. The walls in the condo seemed pretty thin, and Ben’s room was downstairs with Rey and Poe’s.

“Really?” Poe asked, raising his eyebrows. “I’m glad you had a good time.”

Rey shrugged. “I did. And the food was really good.”

Poe smiled, shaking his head. “I’m off to bed. See you bright and early!”

\--------------------------------------------

When Rey made her way into the kitchen for breakfast, Ben was already gone for the day. “Probably meeting some of his racing buddies for breakfast,” Poe remarked. 

“Racing buddies?” Rey asked. “I didn’t know Ben was a racer.”

Poe shrugged. “We used to do ski camps every year when we were kids. I competed freestyle. Was pretty good, but had to step back when I went to college.”

“And Ben kept going?” Rey asked.

“He was on the racing team when he was in undergrad,” Poe said. “Still races sometimes, I assume.”

“That’s cool,” Rey said. “I don’t think he mentioned that.”

“Not a man of many words,” Poe replied, handing Rey one of the bagels he’d been toasting. 

Han made his way downstairs as Rey was eating, adding his own bagel to the toaster and pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Morning, kids,” he said.

“Morning,” they replied. 

“Ready to hit the slopes?” Han took a sip of his coffee and drifted over to the window. “Looks like a good day today.”

“Definitely,” Rey said. “I can’t wait.”

They finished their breakfasts and loaded their gear into the back of Han’s truck. They made it to the mountain just as the lifts were opening, and took their first run on the green Rey had been practicing on.

“You said you just started skiing two days ago?” Han asked when they reached the bottom.

“Yeah, I’d never been before this break,” Rey said.

“Have you taken her up to the top yet?” Han asked Poe.

“Not yet,” Poe said. “There aren’t any greens from the top and she’s never done a blue before.”

“Let’s go do Lando’s Run,” Han said. “That’s the perfect trail to get her started on.”

“Are you sure?” Rey asked. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“Trust me,” Han said. “You’re ready. I’ll guide you. Let’s go.”

Poe broke off to meet Finn for his break, and Rey took the lift back up with Han. “I’m nervous,” Rey said as the lift brought them higher up the mountain than she’d ever been before. The lift to the top was much faster than the one that serviced the green she typically skied, and it brought her much, much higher.

“You have nothing to be worried about,” Han said. “You’re a controlled skier, and you’ve got a pretty okay guide to help you down.”

They reached the top, and Rey followed Han to the sign that said Lando’s run. “Check out that view,” Han said, pointing to the opening where the trees had been cleared for the trail. Rey could see everything; the ski trails, the lodge, a hint of rooftops that signaled the village. The surrounding mountains rose into the background, the trees fading into whiteness as they reached for the sky and their summits obscured by low hanging clouds.

“It’s breathtaking,” Rey said. And then she looked down, and her breath was actually taken away-- “Wait, we aren’t doing this trail, right?” she asked, her blood momentarily running cold as she took in the terrain that lay in front of her-- or more accurately, below her.

“It looks a lot steeper than it is,” Han said with a laugh. “And this right here is the steepest part.”

Rey watched with trepidation as a few middle school-aged kids passed next to them to go flying down the steep first leg of the trail. “It better be,” she murmured.

“Watch me,” Han said. Beginning at the corner where he and Rey had been taking in the view, he skied in a slight diagonal across the path, landing only slightly lower than where they had started but on the opposite side. He turned so he was facing Rey now. “You can handle that, can’t you? Come here.”

Rey took a deep breath, trying to quell her panic and avoid looking further down the trail. She tipped herself over the edge and skied across to Han.

“See?” Han asked. “Not so bad. Now turn around and follow me.”

The turning was nerve-wracking, because for a fraction of a second, Rey’s skis would be parallel facing straight down the mountain, but she made it around, waiting for some skiers to pass before reaching Han back at the side they had started, but a bit lower down the trail. They continued like this, one turn at a time, before gradually picking up the pace, Rey simply following half a turn behind Han and only stopping to let people pass. By the time the terrain began to level out, Rey was feeling comfortable; she wasn’t zipping down the trail like the people passing her, but she was steadily making progress, and more importantly, she felt like she was in control.

The terrain stayed relatively flat for a little while, wrapping across the mountain at an angle until it met up with a few more trails, not far above the beginning of Rey’s typical green.

The only problem was that to get there, they had to ski down a wide, steep drop that gave Rey vertigo.

“No steeper than what we were just doing,” Han assured her, sensing what her face must look like behind her goggles and face mask. “This one is actually way easier, because it’s nice and wide.” Han skied across the trail, just as he had before, stopping long before the opposite edge but still further than he would have been able to at the top of the trail, where the path was narrower. With a gulp, Rey followed, and they began the same pattern of Han leading the way and Rey following just a half a turn behind, and Rey’s comfort returned. She was momentarily startled when a group of tall skiers dressed in black came flying down the center of her and Han’s path-- was that Kylo Ren? she momentarily asked herself when she noticed that one wore a full-face helmet-- but soon she was back on track, and when the terrain flattened out into the green that Rey was used to, she allowed herself to pick up a little speed on the last turn so that she could take the green faster than she usually did. Han kept up, and they reached the bottom quickly, stopping near the chairlift. 

“How was that?” Han asked.

“Incredible,” Rey said. “Thank you. I never would have been able to do that on my own.”

“I am certain that you would have, but I’m happy to show you the ropes, kid,” Han said. He heard a shout from the lodge, and looked over his shoulder to see a couple of men around his age waving at him. He waved back. “I think a couple old friends would like to say hello-- are you going to keep skiing?”

“Definitely,” Rey said. “That was great.”

“Good,” Han said. “Just keep taking wide turns and look out for crazy little kids careening down the mountain, and you’ll be great.”

Rey rode the lift back up to the top and began the descent again, following Han’s instructions. She was getting better, and her turns were becoming steadier. She kept an eye out for kids and out-of-control adults, and was almost to the point where the trail leveled out when she saw something dark out of the corner of her eye just seconds before her ski collided with something. She couldn’t tell what happened after that; it was all a blur, but a second later she was hitting the ground, her skis causing her to bounce and flip over down the mountain again until one of them fell off and the other landed at an angle where it didn’t bounce. Her poles weren’t in her hands anymore, and she was pretty sure her feet were above her relative to the base of the mountain. She took stock of her body parts; nothing felt injured, but she’d had the wind knocked out of her and her shoulder hurt a little bit. The snow must have cushioned most of the impact.

“Rey!” a voice screamed, and suddenly the sun was blocked by something dark, and Rey realized that someone was kneeling over her.

“Kylo?” Rey asked, seeing her goggled face reflected in the full-face helmet.

“Are you hurt?” Kylo asked. 

“No, I don’t think so,” she said. “Just a little frazzled. Do you know where my ski went?”

“It’s right up there,” Kylo said. “I’ll get it for you in a second. Let me help you.” Kylo unclipped Rey’s other ski so that she could turn over and sit up so that she was rightside-up again. He sidestepped up the trail to get her ski and poles, and brought them back down to where she was sitting. “You sure you’re good to keep skiing?” he asked. “I know a couple people on ski patrol, I can call them now--”

“Wait,” Rey said. The last time she and Kylo had spoken, his voice had been distorted by his mask and his helmet and the wind, but he must have let his mask slip down while he was helping her, because when she could hear him clearly, he sounded very familiar. “Ben?”

“Um--”

“Take off your helmet,” Rey ordered.

He unclipped it with a sigh, and Ben’s face looked back at her, hair messed up from the helmet. “Rey, I--”

“We had a whole conversation on the lift yesterday, and you didn’t even bother to tell me we were staying together? What’s with the fake name, anyway?” Rey wasn’t sure why she was ringing him out now, while she might still need his help getting down, but she was angry. “That’s pretty shady, don’t you think?”

“I use a pseudonym for racing,” he said. “It’s not to be deceitful. I just don’t want my career to be defined by who my father is.”

“A great time to tell me that would have been yesterday,” Rey said, standing up carefully and brushing the snow off from her bindings. She picked up her poles before clipping herself back into her skis, forcing confidence where she had very little. “I have a run to finish. Try not to hit anyone else on your way down.” 

“Rey, are you sure you don’t need--”

“I’m fine,” Rey said, taking one last turn and reaching the level terrain. “I’m sure you have other people’s heads to mess with.”

“Rey, I’m sorry--” Rey stopped listening to his apology, focusing on her skiing, picking up a little bit of speed and jetting down the easy part of the trail. Eventually, realizing that she wouldn’t respond and didn’t seem to be having any problems, Ben turned down an offshoot of the trail and disappeared.

\-------------------------------------

“How was skiing today?” Leia asked as she set the kettle on the stove. 

“Fantastic,” Rey said. “Han helped me get down Lando’s Run. It was exhilarating.”

“Isn’t that a blue?” Leia asked. “Was it all right?”

“It was fine,” Rey said. “I took wide turns and kept an eye out for careening children-- I did have a mishap with one careening adult, but everything was fine.”

Leia raised her eyebrows. “You didn’t get hurt?”

“Nope,” Rey said. “Just a small mishap.” She wasn’t hurt, at least, not physically. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Ben and/or Kylo at the moment. She knew he hadn’t really lied to her, but he had certainly been a little deceitful. She didn’t even really know why-- it wasn’t like she was going to tell all his racing friends to stop respecting his skill because his dad used to be a famous champion. But still, it was uncomfortable. 

“Good,” Leia said. “I wanted to talk to you before everyone else got back. I just talked to Poe’s parents on the phone. His family is able to make it up for Christmas, so we’ll be a little tighter on beds. Normally I’d have you share a room with Poe, since you’re pretty good friends, but he usually shares with his stepbrother, and I was going to give his parents Ben’s room because it has the big bed-- would you mind sharing a room with Ben for just a couple of nights? He’s really not here that much, so you’ll hardly notice him. It won’t be long-- the Dameron-Wexleys will need to get back home right after Christmas.”

“No problem!” Rey said. “I’m happy to sleep wherever is easiest. I don’t mind sharing.” Although I would really rather it not be with the guy I just got into a ski accident and then an argument with, she thought. But it was just for a couple nights, and Leia was right, Ben was hardly there. If Rey went to bed early, she’d probably be asleep before he came in and he’d be gone before she ever woke up.

“Great,” Leia said. “I’ll do the honors of telling him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there wasn't a ton of Reylo in this chapter, had to get set up for the next chapter where things get interesting. Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Two people, four skis, and a whole lot of snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some holiday fluff followed by... are those... feelings?

Ben didn’t come home for dinner. Leia spent the rest of the afternoon preparing the house for more guests, moving Ben’s bag and handful of personal items from the larger room and setting them on the dresser in Rey’s before changing the bedding. Rey offered to help, but there wasn’t much more to do, so she resigned herself to the kitchen to keep an eye on the food in the oven. Poe’s mom and stepdad arrived in time to eat, along with his stepbrother Snap. Rey found them to be nice and approachable, and enjoyed watching Snap and Leia give each other a hard time. It was clear that the two families were extremely close; Leia and Poe’s mom had apparently known each other for a long time.

After they ate, Rey, Poe, and Snap had spent a few minutes chatting in the living room, but Snap was tired from his flight and she and Poe had skied all day, so Rey took a shower and changed into pajamas, curling up in her bottom bunk to read.

She had forgotten that Ben would be sharing a room with her tonight, so much so that when the door opened around nine, she nearly dropped her book. She quickly recovered, not looking up to acknowledge her new roommate as she pretended to continue reading. “Poe’s parents are sleeping in my room,” Ben said, shuffling through his bag with his back to Rey. “My mom told me I was sharing with you.”

“That’s fine,” Rey said.

There was a moment of silence. “Are you sore from your fall at all?” Ben asked.

“Nope.”

Ben nodded, although Rey could barely tell from the bottom bunk, the room being so small that the top bunk cut off her view of most of his head. He tossed his phone and charger onto the empty bed and grabbed a few things before leaving the room.

Rey’s phone buzzed with a text from Poe. I just realized that Ben’s staying in your room. OMG! I should have had you trade with Snap.

It’s fine, she texted back. I really don’t care.

You sure? He’s moody in the morning.

He’s moody all the time.

That’s true! 

Rey chuckled. Seriously, it’s fine. Leia said your family won’t be staying for too long, and he’s hardly even here.

OK, Poe wrote. Text me if anything changes.

I will :)

Rey put her phone down as the door opened and Ben returned. Apparently, he had just taken a shower; the smell of whatever products he used wafted over to her and his wet hair clung to what little of his neck Rey could see from her angle. What Rey could see, very clearly as he reached up over the top bunk to plug in his phone, was his bare, muscular chest. Apparently Ben Solo did not wear a shirt to bed, roommate or not.

Rey blushed, glad he couldn’t see her face from this angle. She watched as his large frame climbed up the wooden ladder as he folded himself into the tight space. She considered offering to switch bunks; hers was just as cramped, but at least it would save him the indignity of having to climb the tiny ladder. She decided against it; she was still a little annoyed with him after their interaction on the trail that morning and didn’t feel like being considerate.

\-----------------------------------

Ben has already left before Rey woke up the next morning. It turned out that Snap only ever skied during occasional visits to Leia’s from California, so his skills were similar to Rey’s. Rey appreciated having someone to ski with who wasn’t orders of magnitude better than her, and together they got more comfortable on the blue terrain.

It was Christmas Eve, and Poe had ditched the mountain to drive into town for some last minute shopping. Rey was prepared; she hadn’t known exactly who she would be spending the holidays with, so she had loaded up a grocery bag with British snacks and candy from a European market in the city that she could decide how to wrap and distribute. She didn’t talk about her background very often, but this was one way that she could cash in on the accent with a generic gift that was just personal enough. 

After returning from the mountain and taking a shower, Rey shut the door of her bedroom and spread her gifts out across the mattress, preparing to decide who would get what and how she would wrap them.

The door opened behind her. She threw a blanket over the presents, turning to see who was spoiling her surprises.

“Everything okay?” Ben asked, reaching up to plug his phone into its charger next to his bunk.

“Can you give me a few minutes to myself? I’m trying to get some presents wrapped.”

“It’s that secret?” Ben asked with a chuckle. He peeled his black thermal top off and tossed it in the closet, replacing it with a fresh T-shirt. Rey resolutely kept her gaze on the tube of wrapping paper in her hand. 

“It’s meant to be a surprise,” Rey said. “It’s no fun when you already know what it is.” 

“I want to go to bed,” Ben said.

“Isn’t it a bit early?” Rey asked.

“I’m tired,” Ben said. “I want to lie down.”

Rey sighed. “Then go up to your bunk. No peeking.”

Ben climbed into his bunk, shifting around to get comfortable. Rey removed the blanket she had hid the gifts under and began wrapping. “I’m not good at giving presents,” Ben said after a few minutes.

“I wouldn’t say I am either,” Rey replied. “I just get something I think most people would like.”

“I never really know what people are going to like,” Ben said. “My parents have everything they want or need. They’re the hardest ones to shop for. Poe, I can get him a bottle of tequila or something, and he’ll be happy. With my parents, I can never decide.”

“Maybe buying them something isn’t the way to go,” Rey suggested. “Maybe you should think different, like an experience.”

“Hm,” Ben said. “What did you get everyone?” 

“I told you, it’s a surprise.” Rey finished wrapping her gifts and moved on to carefully scrawling everyone’s names onto festive label stickers. “Okay, I’m done,” she said. “You can look now.” She gathered up the packages and carried them to the living room, arranging them carefully under the Christmas tree. There were already other packages there, and Rey tried her best to distribute hers so that they looked nice mixed in with the others.

Back in the bedroom, Rey climbed into her own bunk, returning to her book. “Are you going to ski tomorrow?” Ben asked.

“I’ll do whatever Poe and Snap are doing,” Rey said. She honestly had no idea how this family celebrated Christmas; was skiing together part of it? Did they stay home all day and eat? Did they just rush through the presents and then go back to their regular routines?

Ben didn’t say anything else, and not long after, Rey heard his breathing slow as he fell asleep. She turned the lights off went to sleep herself.

\----------------------------------

The next morning, Rey awoke to BB climbing into bed with her, Poe standing back in the doorway with a smile on his face. “Merry Christmas!” he said, as BB licked Rey’s face and tried to climb under the covers with her.

“Happy Christmas,” Rey laughed, reluctantly disentangling herself from the sweet dog and standing up. “I’ll get dressed and meet you upstairs?”

“Hurry,” Poe said. “Breakfast is ready.”

Rey changed into a red sweater and leggings, hoping that was festive enough for the occasion. When she came upstairs, she was glad to see that everyone else was dressed pretty casually as well, Poe still in his plaid pajama bottoms paired with a ridiculous-looking reindeer sweater.

Han was in the kitchen wearing a Santa-themed apron, plating stacks of pancakes, as Leia filled a carafe with coffee and Poe’s mom frosted a pan of cinnamon buns. Rey helped carry a plate full of bacon to the dining table as everyone sat down for breakfast. 

Ben arrived at the last minute; Rey saw him enter the house with a bag full of presents which he emptied in the living room before joining them at the table. 

After breakfast, Leia ushered everyone into the living room, where they exchanged presents. Everyone seemed to like Rey’s gifts, which calmed the slight anxiety that had been building inside her. She hadn’t expected anyone but Poe to get her anything-- especially since Leia had already given her so much-- so she was surprised by the gifts addressed to her. Leia had gotten her soft, knitted slippers and a matching scarf, Han gave her ski socks and a neckwarmer, Poe gave her a couple of books that she had been eyeing in the store but hadn’t read yet, and the rest of the Wexley-Damerons got her a gift card to a bookstore near campus-- Poe’s idea, most likely.

Ben’s gift was what surprised her the most. Inside the envelope he’d addressed to her were two tickets to an event called Snow and Starlight. Rey had no idea what it was, but Leia assured her that she would love it. Poe told her that it involved food and skiing, which was enough to convince her she’d be into it.

After they opened presents, Han told the “kids” to get ready for the mountain-- apparently, skiing was a part of their Christmas tradition. Leia and Poe’s parents stayed behind; Poe’s parents didn’t ski and Leia had injured her hip a while back and resigned from the sport. Rey changed into her ski gear and met Han in the mud room, surprised to see Ben actually joining them.

“Everybody ready?” Han asked. They carried their equipment outside, loading everything into the back of Han’s truck. Rey, Poe, and Snap squeezed into the tiny backseat of the truck cab, while Ben sat in front with his father. Rey had never seen them this close together before; they didn’t speak, but there was less tension between them than Rey had sensed the days before.

They weren’t the only people on the mountain, but there certainly weren’t many others. There were no lines for the lifts and some of the trails had fresh powder that hadn’t even been tracked yet. They stayed together for a couple runs, before the group started to get split up. Poe and Han broke off to ski a black diamond together, and Snap ran into a girl named Kaydel that he’d apparently skied here with a few times when visiting Leia.

“Rey,” a voice called from behind her as she stopped at the base of the mountain to decide which lift to take up next.

Rey turned around. It was Ben. He hadn’t worn his normal ski gear today; rather than the black race team jacket and full face helmet, he wore an older-looking navy coat and a gray helmet with goggles that reflected blue. 

“Take a run with me?” he asked.

Rey hesitated. She wanted to ignore him, but she didn’t have a good excuse, and it was Christmas. “Sure,” she said, trying to sound disinterested.

They boarded the chairlift to the top together, an awkward silence taking over when it was just them and the snowy landscape stretching out below. “Thanks for the present,” Rey said.

“You’re welcome,” Ben said. “I hope you enjoy it.”

“What is it, exactly?” Rey asked.

“It’s a night skiing event,” Ben said. “You take the lift up, have dinner at the lodge at the top, then ski down Lando’s Run. They light it up with lanterns on the edges. It’s nice.”

“That does sound nice,” Rey said. “Thank you.”

Ben nodded. He turned his head, gazing out at the pine trees that were covered in enough frost that they looked like they had been spray-painted white. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“Hm?” Rey asked.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you it was me when we talked on the chairlift,” he continued. “I wasn’t trying to be dishonest. I’m just used to keeping my family and my skiing separate.”

“That seems a little difficult, with your family being so into skiing,” Rey replied.

“That’s the thing,” Ben said. “I like to ski because I like to ski, not because my dad was an Olympian and an icon. It’s very personal to me. When people know me as Han and Leia’s son, it’s not my thing, it’s theirs, and I have to continue it because of them.”

“It’s an escape,” Rey said softly. 

“Yes!” Ben said. “When I ski, all I want to think about is myself and the mountain. Just skis versus snow and gravity. Not family legacies.”

“I wouldn’t know about that,” Rey said. “I have no family legacy. I’m nobody.”

“Not to me,” Ben said. “You don’t need a family legacy. You’re enough.” They reached the top, dismounting from the chairlift and sliding over to Lando’s Run. “Come on, let’s go,” Ben said. “Just two people, four skis, and a whole lot of snow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I had to throw in that line from the movies-- it always gives me goosebumps.
> 
> Let me know what you think of it so far!


	6. Chilly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotta stay warm somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me like 10 years to write this lol, had some stuff going on. Luckily I got to do some skiing and spent my time on the slopes thinking of ways to shove my favorite awkward space weirdos closer together. Enjoy!

Rey poured herself a cup of coffee in the empty kitchen, hearing the small sounds of people throughout the house beginning to wake up. Ben was already gone; he must have been the one to make the coffee. The couple of days after Christmas had been fairly quiet, but very fun. Rey was able to ski every day, slowly gaining confidence and finding it easier to keep up with the others. She and Poe met up with Finn between group lessons, and the three of them hung out after the lifts closed a few times.

“Morning, Rey,” Poe said, blearily drifting into the kitchen and reaching for a mug from the cabinet. Rey handed him the pot so he could pour his coffee and took a seat at the table. 

“Morning,” Rey replied. “What are you up to today?”

“My family flies home tonight,” Poe said. “Leia, Han and I are taking them around the city first so I can show them the school and they can get the chance to see Massholes in their natural habitat. Do you want to come with us? We’re already taking two cars, so we have plenty of room.”

“Thanks for inviting me, but that thing Ben got me tickets to is tonight,” Rey said. “It sounds cool, so I don’t want to miss it.”

“Snow and Starlight?” Poe asked. “Yeah, definitely don’t miss that. You’ll love it. A lot better than watching people from California experience Boston in winter.”

Rey laughed. “You guys will have fun,” she said. Rey hadn’t been sure who to take with her to the event; she had two tickets but wasn’t sure whether Ben had gotten the second one intending for her to bring him, or if he had gotten two with the mindset that she wouldn’t want to go alone and would bring someone like Poe along. With Poe heading south for the day, the choice was essentially made for her, so Rey got ready to go to the mountain, hoping to catch Ben on the slopes in time to see if he would go with her.

She didn’t spot him until lunch time, when she noticed three tall figures dressed in black make their way into the lodge. She was at a small table in the corner which she had chosen for its proximity to one of the wood stoves. Two of the figures got into the line for food, while the tallest--Ben, judging from the helmet--surveyed the room for an empty table.

Rey waved as he looked in her direction, and he gave her a quick wave back. He took his helmet off and set it down on an empty table, adding his coat to claim it for him and his friends, and walked over to Rey.

“You didn’t go to Boston with everyone else?” he asked.

“The thing is tonight,” Rey said. “Snow and Starlight. The tickets you got me.”

“Oh, right,” Ben said, rolling down his ski mask and running a hand through his hair, which had been compressed by his helmet.

“Will you come with me?” Rey asked.

“Do you want me to?”

Rey let out a short laugh. “Why would I invite you if I didn’t want you to come?”

Ben shrugged. “Okay,” he said. “Want to meet me back at the house at five and I’ll drive us over?”

“That sounds great,” Rey said. “See you then.”

“See you,” Ben said. He made his way back to the table he’d claimed just as the other tall people returned with trays of food. Rey stood up, already done with her sandwich, and decided it was time to get back to skiing.

\-------------------

Rey wasn’t sure what to wear to Snow and Starlight; on one hand, the description on the website made it look like a pretty nice dinner, which she would typically dress up for, but on the other, skiing was involved, which conflicted pretty heavily with that. She settled for a slightly nicer looking sweater and leggings under her ski gear, just in case.

Ben returned just before five, still in his black race team jacket. He hung it up when he got to the mud room, swapping it out for the one he’d worn when he’d skied with the family on Christmas. “Ready?” he asked. 

“Almost,” Rey said. “Should I wear my ski boots or regular shoes?”

“You can just wear your ski boots,” Ben said. “We won’t be doing much walking, since it’s a small event we’ll be able to park really close. I’d wear mine, but I find them very hard to drive in.”

Rey imagined trying to work the pedals in the chunky, plastic footwear and laughed. “Sounds like you’ve tried.”

“I would say succeeded, and yes, multiple times,” Ben said as Rey sat down on the bench to buckle her boots. “My last couple of years at Gould were full of adventure.”

Rey had no idea what Gould was, but assumed it was some kind of private school. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said, standing up and grabbing her skis and poles.

Ben’s car was already running, the heat going strong as he helped her load her equipment into the back of his car. It was an Audi SUV, with the back seat folded down to accommodate the gear. His skis were already there, so long that they stuck out in between the two front seats. The ones Rey was using were much shorter and more rounded on the ends. She set her poles down next to the skis and went around to the passenger seat, careful not to damage the nice car with her clumsy ski-boot feet.

Ben took his place behind the wheel and put the car in gear. “Hungry?” he asked.

“Yeah, actually,” Rey said. “I usually eat a lot later, but skiing makes me ready for dinner at four.”

“That’s what it does,” he said. “Exercise plus cold equals appetite.”

They made it to the mountain quickly, and Ben had been right; they were able to park much closer than they normally would, so they didn’t have to trek so far in ski boots. Ben opened the back of the SUV and sat on the edge to swap his large black Timberlands for even larger ski boots. Rey envied how quickly he could get into them; she still struggled with the buckles on hers sometimes. Fully suited up, they carried their skis to the lift, which was lit up by fairy lights and lanterns. Rey pulled the two tickets from her pocket and showed them to the lift attendant, who let them up.

The mountain looked different at night; instead of an endless expanse of white interspersed with green from the trees, it was shadowy and blue, the trail they’d be coming back down highlighted with golden lights at its edges.

“This is pretty,” Rey said.

“I thought you’d think so,” Ben replied.

At the top, they left their skis on the rack outside the lodge and followed the small train of people making their way inside. They presented their tickets and were shown to a table set for two next to the window overlooking the top of Lando’s Run. In the distance, Rey could see the lights of the village between the trees below.

“Haven’t seen you much,” Rey said. “Early mornings?”

“Some of my teammates are here, so we’ve been getting some training in,” Ben said. “I work full time now, but I still race, so having some time to train is really valuable. Normally it’s just weekends.” 

“What do you do?” Rey asked.

“I’m a project manager for an investment firm in the Financial District. Boring stuff. Pays for my skiing habit, though.”

“Yeah, it does seem like an expensive sport,” Rey said, thinking about how impossible this whole trip would have been for her if Leia hadn’t helped her out so much.

Ben nodded. “There are ways to do it cheaper, especially if you have your own equipment already, but it can add up. Especially if you’re buying custom racing skis every few years.”

Rey nodded. She had no idea what that would cost, but couldn’t imagine it was cheap.

The server brought them two small glasses of champagne and took their dinner orders. Rey took a moment to look around the dining room; the rafters were wrapped with fairy lights and had shiny snowflake ornaments hanging from them, and the tables were lit by small candles in glass holders. It was the same room that was typically full of kids spilling hot cocoa on themselves and old men drinking beer between runs, but in this soft light, the atmosphere was quieter and the lodge felt much cozier.

Rey took a sip of champagne. “Kind of wish I lived like this year-round,” she said with a small laugh.

“You could,” Ben said. “Work hard all week so you can weekend harder.”

“Is that what they say in the Financial District?” Rey asked.

“No, those guys don’t know how to relax,” Ben said. “Right now they’re either working from home to try to get ahead of the guy at the next desk, or drinking themselves sick at a bar trying to pick up nice looking college girls like you.”

“I don’t think I’m at the same kind of bars as your colleagues,” Rey said. “Actually, I’m not at bars much full stop. More of a wine-and-a-movie-in type girl.”

“You’re better off,” Ben said. “Going out in Boston in the winter is a waste of time. Too hot inside, too cold outside, too many opportunities to get whatever version of the flu is taking out all the college kids this year. Stay in, or better yet, get out of the city altogether.”

“Trust me, if I had a car and a ski house, you’d never see me in the city between my last class on Friday and my first class on Monday.”

“You have a friend with a car who has an aunt with a ski house,” Ben said. “Pretty close.”

“I can’t impose on your mom like that.”

“My mom isn’t happy unless every bed in this place is full,” Ben said. “She has all the money she’ll ever need and more gear than the entire US Olympic Ski Team. And she likes you. You’ll be invited back.”

“Will you be here on weekends?” Rey asked.

She detected a hint of a blush on Ben’s face, but it might have just been from the contrast between the cold outside and the heat in the lodge. “When my team is racing or training here. Once or twice a month, probably.”

Rey smiled. “Let me know. Maybe I’ll come to one of your races.”

“They’re not all that fun to watch,” Ben said. “They’re over very fast.”

“Isn’t that the point?” Rey asked, laughing.

Their food arrived, and they dug in, eating in silence for a few minutes. When they finished, they were brought a hot chocolate lava cake for dessert, which they shared. “I don’t normally eat this much sugar,” Ben said. “Trying to stay in shape for race season.”

“It’s a special occasion,” Rey said.

“What’s the occasion?” Ben asked.

“Hanging out with me,” Rey said, breaking into a laugh. 

“I’ll accept that,” Ben said, scooping a big piece of the cake from the middle. “Damn, that’s delicious.”

When they finished, they joined the other people slowly trickling outside to put their skis back on. It was much colder now than it had been on the way up; apparently the temperature had dropped after the sun went down. Rey and Ben waited until the trail was relatively clear to start skiing; with the lanterns lighting the trail and a few tiny flakes of snow beginning to fall, it was absolutely stunning. They took their time, skiing much slower than Rey had ever seen Ben go. Rey felt like she was in a fairytale as she passed a wall of stone that had grown massive icicles that looked like they were glowing from the light of the lantern below them. 

By the time they reached the bottom, Rey was sad that it was over but very happy that they were heading toward a vehicle with heat. Ben hit the remote start before they had even taken their skis off, and they loaded up as quickly as possible. The heat was on high, but it still wasn’t doing much, considering how cold it had gotten.

“It’s a little chilly,” Rey said.

“Just a little,” Ben said. “Luckily we’ll be home in just a minute.” When they parked, Ben helped Rey pull her skis from the back of his car and they hurried inside. “You go change, I’ll take BB out,” Ben said, grabbing a leash for the excited dog. The others weren’t back yet; Poe had told Rey that they would be driving back up after dinner, so she wasn’t expecting them until at least nine.

Rey put away her ski gear and ran down to her room to change into her warmest pajamas, throwing on a sweatshirt and fresh socks as well. She burrowed into the blankets in her bunk, but still didn’t feel warm. The cold seemed to have seeped all the way into her bones, so even with thick flannel pajamas and extra blankets, she was still cold. 

Ben knocked quietly on the door. “Come in,” Rey said.

“Poe’s parents went home, so I have my room back,” he said. “Just gotta grab my stuff.” He gathered his things into the bag on the dresser and turned to leave. “Is that noise your teeth chattering?” he asked, looking at Rey incredulously.

“Um, probably,” Rey said. 

“Are you still that cold? It sounds like you’re going to break a tooth.”

“It’s a little chilly in here, I think,” Rey said. “Can’t get warm again after that last run.”

“Come hang out in my room for a little while,” Ben said. “It’s warmer there. At least until you stop shaking. It’s freaking me out.”

“Okay,” Rey said, wrapping herself in one of the throw blankets and following Ben across the hall to his room. It was a little bigger than the twin bunk rooms she and Poe were each staying in, but not by a whole lot. The bed was bigger, and took up most of the available floor space, and besides that there was just a closet and a low dresser with a small TV on it.

Ben wasn’t lying; his room was a lot warmer, probably because the window was much smaller so it didn’t cause as much of a draft. He closed the door behind them to keep the heat in and sat up against the headboard of the bed, making room for Rey to sit beside him. “Wanna watch something?” he asked, holding up the remote.

“Sure,” Rey said. 

“Do you like the Great British Bake Off?” Ben asked.

“Yeah, that’s a good one,” Rey said.

“Does it remind you of home?” Ben asked jokingly. Rey’s smile faltered. “You don’t have to answer that,” he said quickly. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Rey said. “I just didn’t have that great of a home life. But I like the show. It reminds me of the good parts of Britain. Put it on.”

Ben hit play, then pulled back the sheets to get under them and spread a heavy throw blanket over both of their legs. “You can get under the covers if you want,” he said. “It’s warmer.”

“Trying to get me between your sheets, are you?” Rey joked, realizing how lame she sounded as the words came out of her mouth. She took his advice, though, reveling in the warmth of the flannel sheets.

“You’ve already been in my pants,” Ben deadpanned. 

Rey’s face turned red. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

“The ski pants you’re using. They’re mine from when I was a kid.”

“Oh, wow,” Rey said. “I didn’t know.”

“They look better on you than they did on me,” Ben said. “They were too short for me within a year, so they didn’t see a lot of use.”

“Tall kid,” Rey said. 

“I’m a tall guy,” Ben replied. “One thing I didn’t get from my delightful mother.”

Rey laughed, allowing herself to settle in as the calming voices of Mel and Sue narrated the throwback episode Ben had chosen. “Thanks for coming to the thing with me tonight,” she said after a few minutes.

“Thanks for bringing me,” Ben said. “It was fun.”

\-------------

Rey woke up much warmer, and startled for a second before she remembered the previous night. Apparently, she had fallen asleep in Ben’s room. Based on the tiny amount of light filtering in from the small window, it was still very early, which explained why she wasn’t alone. A heavy arm weighed down on her waist, and she could feel Ben’s breathing against her neck. She could feel her cheeks heat as she realized how they were positioned-- did Ben know she had stayed? Did he want her to? She had been planning to go back to her room, but skiing had really tired her out, and apparently the calming sounds of British people baking had been irresistible. 

Carefully, Rey moved to extricate herself from the bed, but as soon as she began to move, the arm around her tightened, pulling her closer to the massive body behind her. Ben let out a quiet groan into Rey’s neck. Apparently, slipping out unnoticed wasn’t going to work. Rey reached for her phone, which was still in the pocket of her pajama pants. She checked the time-- 6:15. Rey guessed that Ben was probably getting up sometime between 6:00 and 6:30 anyway to be out of the house before she was awake most days, so he probably wouldn’t be mad if she woke him up at this point. She just hoped whatever interaction she was about to have would be quiet-- she wanted to be back to her own bunk before the rest of the house, who must have come back after they’d fallen asleep, realized where she was. “Morning,” she ventured softly.

Ben let out another soft groan, this one almost resembling the words “good morning,” one hand sliding slightly further up the exposed skin where her shirt had ridden up in her sleep.

“I think it’s time to wake up,” Rey said.

“Hmm? Oh. Morning.” This time, he sounded lucid. His grip loosened, but he didn’t pull away.

“I guess we fell asleep,” Rey said, turning so that she was facing him.

“I guess we did,” Ben replied. His hair was a mess, and his eyes still seemed half asleep, but Rey realized that she liked the look. Ben, but less intense.

Footsteps sounded upstairs. “I should get back to my room,” Rey said quickly, realizing what it would look like if she was seen coming out of Ben’s room in the morning.

“Yeah,” Ben said. Rey thought she heard some reluctance in his voice. “I guess.”

“See you on the mountain?” Rey asked as she untangled herself from the sheets and gathered the blanket she’d brought from her room.

“See you there,” Ben said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my thing! Let me know if you're liking it <3


	7. Quietly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things heat up a little in our chilly snow town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Rey slipped into her own bed, disappointed by how cold it was from being empty all night. She curled up with the blanket she’d brought with her to Ben’s, trying to get as cozy as possible before she had to get up for real. She heard the quiet sounds of Ben getting ready and eventually leaving, and by then it was close enough to her typical wakeup time that she felt she could get up without arousing any suspicion.

And why would there be suspicion? Unless someone had knocked on her door last night, poked their head in to see if she was still awake, and found her bed empty.

At breakfast, Rey asked Poe questions about his time in Boston with his family, hoping that the more he talked about his own night, the less likely he would be to ask Rey about hers. She was a terrible liar and she knew it. 

“So anyway,” Poe said, his tone indicating he was shifting gears in the conversation, “Enough about Beantown, how was Snow and Starlight?”

“It was great,” Rey said. “It was so cool to see the mountain at night.”

“Did anyone go with you?” Poe asked.

“Ben did,” Rey said. “I figured, since he bought me the tickets…”

“Makes sense. How was he?”

“Good,” Rey said. She thought about telling Poe everything-- in any other situation, if she spent the night in a guy’s bed, Poe would be the first person she told about it-- but the fact that this was Poe’s cousin, who he didn’t seem to get along with incredibly well, made it seem so much more complicated. How would he react? Would he get mad at her? Mad at Ben? “We had a nice time,” she added.

“That’s nice. He can be a handful. Sorry I wasn’t around.”

Rey bit her lip as they began cleaning up their breakfast dishes to get ready to leave. She wasn’t sorry he missed it-- not that she wouldn’t have had a ton of fun with Poe, but something about the experience with Ben felt precious.

At the mountain, Finn spotted them right away, and since he had almost an hour before his first lesson, he decided to join Rey and Poe for a few runs. It was colder this morning than it had been the last few days, the chill from last night apparently carrying over into the morning. When they slid off the lift for their third run, Rey skied off to the side. “You guys go do a hard one without me,” Rey said. “I need to go warm up my fingers. Poe, want to meet me back up here after?”

Poe and Finn agreed to go ahead without her, since Finn had to be back to teach, so Rey popped out of her skis and mounted them on one of the racks outside the lodge and headed inside. Passing the dining area that she and Ben had eaten in the night before, Rey found a seat on one of the big, leathery couches near the fire in the back corner. She set her mittens up against the grate, hoping that the fire would warm and dry them, and set to work trying to rub the life back into her fingers.

“Rey.” 

Rey looked up to see a dark figure standing over her. She knew it was Ben from the jacket, but the full-face helmet still obscured his features. “Kylo Ren,” she said with a smile.

Ben took off his helmet. “You know I’m still really sorry--”

“I’m just messing with you,” Rey said. “To be honest, it is kind of a cool name.”

Ben smirked. “Good to know. Mind if I have a seat for a minute?”

“Please,” Rey said, making room next to her.

Ben sat down, pulling his gloves off and setting them down next to Rey’s. “Are your hands cold?”

“It’s chilly this morning,” Rey said, feeling the need to defend her fingers.

“Here,” Ben said, holding out his hands.

Rey blushed, not sure why she felt so awkward. This was a lot like last night, except this time it was just her hands instead of her whole body. Despite her awkwardness, Rey took his hands. They were a lot larger than hers and surprisingly warm-- was he skiing on a different mountain than she was? One that was less frozen?-- and her fingers came back to normal quickly.

“Thanks,” Rey said, “That really worked.”

Ben held onto her hands for a moment longer, then reached out for his gloves and stood. “Have a good day,” he said. “There’s a little bit of fresh powder, so it should be a good one for you. I’ll see you at the house later?”

Rey nodded. “I’ll be around.”

“Good,” Ben said. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small plastic packet. “You’re gonna need these today. Keep them in your mittens.”

“Thanks!” Rey said, examining the packet as he walked away. They were hand warmers, she realized. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

\------------------

“Hey Rey!” Poe called from the door to Rey’s room. They had eaten dinner as soon as they got back from the mountain, having worked up a massive appetite from such a long day. Ben was still out, probably doing something with his teammates. “Finn just texted and asked if we want to meet him at Wolftrack. Wanna come?”

“Sure,” Rey said. She vaguely recognized the name as being the same brewery Finn and Poe had gone to on their first date. Rey changed into jeans and a flannel-- apparently, you could go anywhere in this town in jeans and a flannel-- and met Poe in the mudroom.

They walked to the brewery and met Finn by the bar. Rey ordered a beer, sipping much more slowly than her companions. Finn and Poe were each on their third drinks before she was halfway done with her first.

Across the bar, Rey watched as a group of tall people in dark clothing walked in. Her eyes were instantly drawn to Ben, but she could finally see the faces of the other two without helmets and goggles and masks. One was an extremely tall woman with pale blonde hair, and the other was a redheaded man who looked like he wore a permanent sneer.

They sat down on the other side of the bar, but Finn and Poe were too lost in their own world to notice them. “Let’s go dance!” Poe said, just as the music changed and a song he liked came on.

“Yes!” Finn exclaimed. “You’re a genius. Rey, let’s go.”

The guys tugged on Rey’s sleeves. She could tell that they were already a little drunk-- had they started before they got here? Rey wouldn’t put it past Poe to have a flask in his ski jacket to pull out on the lift. Half-reluctantly, Rey followed them to the dance floor, joining the mass of twenty-somethings who looked like they’d been skiing all day as well.

An effort was made not to make Rey feel like a third wheel, but it was a little hard to be an equal participant in a dance that was slowly devolving into more of a seduction between the two guys. Oh well.

Rey felt a hand on her shoulder. “Wanna dance?” a deep voice asked. She turned to find Ben standing next to her in dark gray joggers and a black thermal shirt, his racing jacket abandoned.

“Hey!” Rey said, pretending she hadn’t been staring at him from across the bar earlier. She glanced toward Finn and Poe. They had migrated further into the crowd of people dancing and were now making out. “Sure!”

Rey stepped closer to Ben, awkwardly resting her hands on his shoulders. She wasn’t a huge dancer, typically not one for the club scene, so she wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing.

Ben, for his part, seemed slightly more confident, if only a little, resting his hands on her hips and leading her in something resembling a rhythm. “I don’t go dancing much,” he admitted. 

“Me neither,” said Rey. “Poe invited me.”

“I’m here with my teammates,” Ben said. “Funny enough, I think Poe is currently making out with one of my former teammates.” He turned them so that Rey had a clearer view of the couple in the middle of the dance floor.

“I know,” Rey said. “He was my ski instructor during my first lesson. I introduced them.”

“Small mountain,” Ben said. Rey laughed and nodded. Ben just barely avoided stepping on Rey’s foot; she moved out of the way just in time. “Sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay,” Rey said. “It was probably my fault. I have know idea what I’m doing.”

“Neither do I,” Ben said. He glanced over at the two teammates he had arrived with, who were still drinking at the bar, apparently immersed in some kind of debate, and not paying any attention to him. “Wanna walk me home?” he asked.

Rey glanced over at Finn and Poe, who were still very much all over each other. “That would be nice,” she said. “Let me just tell the guys.”

“I’ll get our coats,” Ben said.

Rey waded through the crowd to reach Finn and Poe, letting them know that she’d run into Ben and decided to walk home with him. They felt bad for ‘abandoning’ her on the dance floor, but Rey assured them that it was okay; she was tired anyway.

Ben met her at the door and handed her her coat, which she quickly zipped into. Ben took one of her hands in his, which was still somehow warm despite the nippy weather. “I’m sorry for falling asleep in your bed last night,” Rey said as they began walking back to the house.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind,” Ben said. “You can come visit me whenever you want, you don’t have to be on the edge of hypothermia next time.”

Rey blushed at the implication. “Good to know,” she said, not sure how to respond. They reached the path that led through the woods back to the house, the edges lit by small lanterns along the edge. “Although, you have proven to be very effective as a personal heater.” Rey wiggled her fingers, remembering how Ben had warmed them up in his hands that morning.

They reached the small bridge that passed over the stream that separated the neighborhood where Leia’s house was from the square of businesses they had left. Ben stopped walking and leaned against the railing of the bridge. “Yeah?” he asked.

Rey shrugged, still holding his hand. 

Ben pulled Rey in closer, his other arm wrapping around her waist. She had to tilt her head back to see his face. “Want to watch another episode of the Great British Bake Off when we get back?” he asked quietly. Rey nodded. Anything to be close to him again.

“Good,” Ben said. He leaned down, pressing a small kiss to Rey’s cheek.

Before he could pull away, Rey leaned up, catching his lips with her own. Ben let out a small groan, deepening the kiss and pulling her even tighter to him. When they pulled away to breathe, Ben’s eyes looked even darker and more intense than usual. “If we don’t hurry up, we’ll never make it home,” he said.

“I’d hate for you to have to warm me up again,” Rey said, her tone slightly sarcastic.

Ben led her back toward the house, his pace a little faster than before. Inside, they hurried to take their coats and boots off, staying in one another’s space as they shed their top layers. “Ben and Rey!” A voice called down from upstairs. “Back already?”

Ben and Rey froze. Leia appeared at the top of the stairs, a long gray robe lined with fluffy white fleece tied around her. BB appeared next to her, then darted down the stairs to greet Ben. “I’m gonna take the dog out,” Ben said, sliding his foot back into his boot and putting his coat back on.

“Hi, Leia,” Rey said, hoping her voice didn’t sound strained.

“How were the conditions today? Did you and Poe have a good time?”

“It was great,” Rey said. “There was some nice powder.”

“Where’s Poe? I thought you two were going out together?”

“Poe’s still out with one if our friends. We ran into Ben and I realized I was really tired, so Ben offered to walk me home.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Leia said. “He can be a nice boy when you get past all the angst. I did teach him something, after all.”

Rey hadn’t seen much of Ben’s angst in days. She wondered if he was a little less gloomy when they were alone together. She also found Leia’s description of Ben as a “nice boy” amusing; he didn’t seem like a ‘boy’ to her, but she also realized she had no idea how old he was.

“Yeah, he’s nice,” Rey said. She yawned, grateful to her body for supplying such a convenient excuse for going downstairs. “I’m getting a little tired. I’m gonna go shower and get ready for bed. I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Good night, Rey,” Leia said, turning and heading back upstairs.

Rey showered quickly, towel-drying her hair and throwing on a pair of pajamas before she heard Ben come back inside, followed by the telltale clicking of BB’s claws on the floor. She waited until he’d had a moment to change and use the bathroom before walking over to his room. “Hey,” she said, standing halfway through his doorway.

Ben’s eyes traveled down her body, and Rey realized that he might be able to tell that she wasn’t wearing a bra under her thin t-shirt. He moved over, making room for her on the bed.

Rey closed the door behind her, toeing out of her slippers and carefully climbing up next to Ben. He’d already queued up the show; he hit play and the competition began quietly. “How was walking BB?” Rey asked.

Ben wrapped his arm around her, pulling her slightly closer. His eyes were on the screen, but Rey could tell that he wasn’t really paying attention to the show. “Good. He found some stuff to sniff. How was my mother?”

Rey laughed. “Just curious why I was coming home with you and not Poe.”

“She’s a nosy one,” he said. “What did you say?”

“That Poe was out with another friend, and I got tired, so you graciously offered to walk me home.”

“I might have had an ulterior motive,” Ben said, turning his body so that he was facing Rey straight on.

“And what was that?” Rey asked. “The burning desire to experience the Great British Bake Off with an authentic UK citizen?”

“Something like that,” Ben said, leaning down to kiss her again. Rey tangled one hand in his hair and ran the other one down his chest, trying to feel the abs she had spotted days ago when they were reluctant roommates. Ben shifted so that he was on top of her, resting his weight on his elbows and knees. His mouth migrated down to her neck, kissing and running his teeth against her skin. Rey slid one leg up his side so that it wrapped around his hip, and he groaned into her ear. Ben’s hand dipped under the hem of Rey’s shirt, splaying across her stomach and reaching up toward--

“Rey?”

Ben and Rey froze. That was Poe’s voice, and judging by the distance, he was outside Rey’s room. They heard him knocking on her door, and the creak as he pushed the already-slightly-open door fully ajar. “Rey?” he called again.

Rey jumped up, knowing that if Poe didn’t find her, he would drunkenly assume she had been mauled by a bear on her way home and go out looking for her. She straightened her shirt, hoping her hair didn’t give off too much of a ‘your cousin was just on top of me’ vibe, and slipped out the door, shutting it behind her so that Ben wouldn’t have to face Poe along with her. “Were you looking for me?” she asked, her voice her best attempt at nonchalance.

“Just wanted to make sure you made it home-- what were you doing in Ben’s room?” Him, or at least she was trying, her mind supplied.

“Just… returning his phone charger,” Rey said. “I was borrowing it.”

“Your charger is in your room,” Poe said.

“I know,” Rey said. “That was the problem. I was borrowing his on the mountain.”

Poe nodded, as if this was a perfectly sound explanation, and Rey cheered internally for her momentary quick wit. Poe wished her a good night, and Rey turned back toward her own bedroom, heading inside and waiting for Poe to fall asleep.

Rey’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She unlocked it, checking the screen. She had a text from an unsaved number.

_Come back :(_

The number had a Boston area code. She didn’t need to guess who it was.

As silently as she could, Rey tiptoed back into Ben’s room. “Where did you get my number?” she whispered, smiling.

Ben held up one of the slippers Rey had left on the floor by his bed. Her name and number were Sharpied on the inside edge of the faux suede, a habit she’d adopted from living in the dorms, where anything could end up anywhere.

“Of course,” she said, climbing back onto the bed.

Ben pulled her into his lap, pressing a kiss just below her jaw. “Your hair smells good,” he whispered.

Rey laughed quietly, and the movement must have caused her to shift against him, because he let out another quiet groan. Rey stilled. “We can’t do anything tonight,” she said. “We could wake up Poe.”

Ben sighed, resting his forehead against Rey’s shoulder. “Dumb cousin.” He stretched out, shifting Rey so that she was curled into his side and not grinding into his lap. “Stay the night again?” he asked.

“I think I can do that quietly,” Rey said.

Ben smirked. “I sure wish you didn’t have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my reylo fluff! I hope we are moving in a good direction! I almost turned this chapter into a jealousy subplot, but I'm writing this to heal from the events of _spoilers_ so I am keeping to my original goal of writing nothing but tooth rotting fluff that warms my soul. I hope it warms your soul too, let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! I'll try continue it as soon as possible :)


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